NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Problem of Position. Finding out which side of a certain car a witness had seen caused a little amusement, in the Supreme Court at Wellington. Mr. Justice Reed finally said to witness: "You know what the near side and the off side of a horse is ? The near side is the side you get on. Now which side of the car was it that you saw—near or off?" Witness (apologetically):. Well, I really don't know. I haven't done much riding for years, sir." • • Christian Churches' Reunion. Speaking at the official. opening of the Waikato Diocesan.School for Girls in Hamilton yesterday afternoon, his Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, said he hoped the time was not far distant when there would be a great reunion of Christian churches. He had strongly advocated this Christian reunion, and he would like to see New Zealand be the first country to bring it about. Australia's Extinct Lions. When fossil remains of the great Australian

marsupial lion were discovered at Wellington (N.S.W.), often only head bones were found, said the Rev. G. S. Cook at New Plymouth. The explanation was that the Australian-lion, a beast four times the size of an African lion, was a great bone crusher. Hence the jawbone development was enormous and became fossilised, while the softer bones decayed.

A Mixed Cargo. The Golden Cross, which arrives in Auckland from Gisborne to-morrow, will, when she leaves for America, have a very mixed cargo aboard. Locally the ship will load a large quantity of scrap-iron, over 300 empty petrol drums, frozen meat, Mood and bone manure, kauri gum, tallow and other general cargo. Suva will be her first port of call, and there she will take aboard copra. At Honolulu she will load sugar, and then will go to San Francisco. The Golden Cross will be the second steamer to load scrap-iron in Auckland within four months. About 1000 tons were dispatched to America in February ; on the Union Company's steamer Kairanga. Scrap-iron in America is turned into many uses. How Thief was Thwarted. How the "Star" once saved a man a lot of money is recalled by the recent death of Mr. W. Lambert, a resident of Onehunga for upwards of 50 years. Mr. Lambert at the time was employed as a collector, and one evening he counted up his takings on the dining room table, and then covered the money over with the "Star." He intended to remove the money to a place of safety before retiring, but he forgot. That night a man broke into the house and immediately began to ransack the top drawer of a chest near the table. As he removed the articles he laid them on the "Star," thus covering the money he was looking for. After searching the place in vain, he left the house.

Mechanical "Babies." A naive remark made from the witness box in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington by a fireman who drives one of the Central Fire Station engines broke up the Court. Counsel for a motorist charged with having failed to stop his car in Cuba Street on the approach of the fire engine had been cross-examining the witness at some length, and lie concluded by suggesting that the witness' memory was not perfect, in view of the fact that he had given the wrong make of' the "baby" car the defendant was driving. Anyone who was at all conversant with cars, asserted counsel, would, have known the make of the ear. The witness, after a pause of a few seconds: "But, oi course, one baby looks like another." There was loud laughter, in which the magistrate joined. Witnesses' Expenses.

There was a sharp difference of opinion yesterday at the Otahuhu Police Court between Mr. F; H. Levien, S.M., and Sergeant Howies on the question of witnesses' expenses. Sergeant Rowles contended he was entitled to at least 10/ for every police witness, as 10/ represented the Departmental allowance. If he did not get expenses, it would be difficult to get witnesses for the police. Mr. Levien said if the Department paid witnesses 10/ for half a day's attendance at Court, they were too easy with public money. He did not care what the Department paid. His duty was to see that witnesses got reasonable remuneration. If not in employment, they must be prepared to do their duty by their country. The practice suggested by Sergeant Rowles was, not.uniform, as he was asked at times to award a man's out-of-pocket expenses. He would be guided by circumstances. Poor Trout-fishing. Next Saturday trout-fishing will close in the Taupo and Rotorua districts after a rather disappointing season. . Catches, according to reports, have not been nearly so numerous this season as in past years, and experienced anglers say that it has been one of the poorest seasons' for the past 20 years. In the Taupo area there have been very few fish in the rivers, although the condition of the fish that' have been landed has been good.. All the catches have been satisfactory as far.as condition is concerned, i Poor sport was experienced in the Rotorua-Taupo districts by Easter fly fishermen, but it was felt that there would be an.abundance, of fish after heavy'rain. However, the water in the rivers has remained low,, and the run of fish has not taken place: to the extent of past seasons. This has been all the more unsatisfactory because of. the almost perfect weather conditions during the past month.

Mutual Help at North Shore. Unemployment was.very severe on the North Shore at this time last year, and half. of. the Hospital Board levy from the combined boroughs district was required to give relief to those who needed it. A. spirit of co-operation and help became evident when it was known that many were in sor© distress through lack of Avork. Various organisations got to work,: aftd to-day the position, has/so'nruch improved*that with 23,Q00 of a population, ,or about one-tenth! of the people of .the large : Auckland Hospital Board, district, only one-sixteenth of. .the total, relief 'given is being spent there.,. In other words, if air other parts of the hospital district showed : the same desire to help the unemployed, and private > employer's gave.'work to those' without a job to the .same extent »■ as the North ■ Shore boroughs, the: total amount of relief given would'be. in the vicinity of £30,000, and not £48,000 : per, year. Last. week, one North Shore; borough, had only one unemployed person with a. family dependent on him who was receiving help fromthe Hospital Board.

.Eetumed. Soldiers and Farming. --The question -of -the-settlement-of hi ore- returned soldiers on the land is briefly referred to in; the report of the Ex-Sdldiers' Rehabilitation Commission. "One lesson that may be learned .from past, experience,, js .that..farming ..does... not. offer .-a .certain livelihood for any man who can.be placed in possession of a farm,with.State.'help'in his iinitial financial; problems," .says the report. '"Furthermore,' we ; think it' is'a . fact that nearly- .;al],.• if; ; not . -all, the. returned soldiers who. by I natural' bent - and qualities are likely to be successful farmers have by this time found their way on to the land. We strongly recommend that no person should now be en«mrr|:ed to take up farming as a.means of livelihood unless by irainihg or family connections and traditions and by physical fitness he"may -.Be j 'expected'to show himself suited to such an occupa- i tion. - We think further that facilities for taking , up land as farmers, with State-finance and assist- j ance,'.should be given only to those who have some capital either in land, stock, or cash to j embark in'the undertaking. We think it is ex- j eeedingly unlikely that any disabled ex-soldier now seeking* assistance can be successfully embarked on a farming career on a : basis that leaves him ; liable to pay interest mi almost 100 . per cent j advance on the value of hia.property." 1